ADVANCED ENERGY BLOG -- BILL HAGSTRAND

Closing the energy work force gap through dynamic partnerships

Blog Entry: March 29, 2013 4:30 AM | Author: BILL HAGSTRAND

BILL HAGSTRANDWilliam E. Hagstrand serves as a Senior Consultant for NorTech and is responsible for driving engagement in cluster opportunities from inception to successful completion. This includes identifying and cultivating potential opportunities for participating organizations and recruiting organizations to the advanced energy cluster.

Amidst news of persistently high unemployment rates, one fact rarely makes headlines these days: We have a talent shortage in the U.S. The advanced energy industry in Northeast Ohio is not immune to this problem, but several initiatives in the region are working to close the gap.

Intriguing results from the 2012 ManpowerGroup Talent Shortage Survey illustrate a gap between workforce skills and industry needs. The survey reveals that "49 percent of U.S. employers are experiencing difficulty filling mission-critical positions within their organizations. " Two of the 10 most difficult jobs to fill are skilled trades and engineers. Employers cite lack of available applicants and lack of experience as some of the reasons for the deficit.

The successes of the advanced energy initiatives in our region depend on qualified employees and suppliers. Just as critical are the roles industry and academia must play in order to close the workforce gaps in Northeast Ohio. Many companies and educators are becoming more proactive as leaders and advocates to fulfill immediate growth objectives and to develop a sustainable, regional economic ecosystem that benefits employers and employees in the long term.

An initiative led by regional energy companies and supported by Lorain County Community College (LCCC) is focused on building an energy workforce strategy for Northeast Ohio. LCCC is working with industry leaders and a Talent Consortium to develop a career pathway framework. Partners in this initiative include Columbia Gas, Dominion, Cleveland Public Power and First Energy. These established utilities have reached out to forge new collaborations with non-traditional energy companies, such as Quasar Energy Group, LG Fuel Cell Systems and Vadxx.

The energy consortium facilitated by LCCC is driving to develop an efficient system created by collaboration rather than each company developing workforce efforts on its own. The knowledge of the group creates the capability to apply what is learned to specific challenges. The Arizona Sun Corridor Consortium is an example of a developed group working to train trade-impacted workers and other adults for high-skill, high-wage employment in advanced energy.

Energy workforce development initiatives are timely for the region. The Advanced Energy Economy Ohio July 2012 report, "Employment in Ohio's Advanced Energy Industry ", states that Ohio is home to a robust and diverse advanced energy industry with over 25,000 employees in over 400 companies. Universal challenges include talent development and an aging workforce. Advanced energy companies are discovering that they share development needs with traditional utilities. The goal is to define the broad energy workforce requirements of the region as a whole, rather than thinking of these needs in silos.

The Northeast Ohio consortium is working with design guidance from The Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD), which has developed a nationally recognized “Get Into Energy" career pathway initiative. CEWD consists of electric, natural gas, and nuclear utilities and their associations. The groups have developed a model of working together to develop solutions for the forecasted workforce shortage in the utility industry, and share best practices and tools to reach target audiences.

Terri Burgess Sandu, Director of the Entrepreneurship Innovation Institute and Executive Director of Workforce Development at Lorain County Community College, is deeply committed to energy workforce development.

"We're talking about energy careers for adults as well as getting information out to students, parents and teachers. There are great careers to be had in the energy sector, right here in our community. Key to this is giving individuals opportunities, skills and exposure to a variety of options, whether it's in wind, shale, utilities, the supply chain or even starting their own business," she says.

There are other entities in the region that are working together to close workforce gaps. Stark State College offers a fuel cell technology major and works directly with LG Fuel Cell Systems to fill internships within that company. It's a win-win situation for both the students and for LG Fuel Cell Systems. The students gain real world experience while the company gains the work and knowledge of interns trained specifically in fuel cell technology.

Workforce development is most effective if it's not created in a vacuum. The partnerships and alliances built between industry leaders, higher education and non-profit partners are striving to address the common needs for a skilled workforce in the energy, advanced energy and energy–impacted sectors. The collaboration to align the supply and demand for talent in Northeast Ohio can result in tools and strategies that have a highly positive effect on our long-term economy and employment outlook.

Reader Comments

Readers are solely responsible for the content of the comments they post here. Comments are subject to the site's terms and conditions of use and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of Crain's Cleveland Business. Readers whose comments violate the terms of use may have their comments removed or all of their content blocked from viewing by other users without notification. Comments may be used in the print edition at editorial discretion.